Why the WNBA power couple NaLyssa Smith & DiJonai Carrington news has lesbians spiraling

That next chapter starts on June 25, when the U.S. hosts China in Chicago’s VNL leg, Shoji’s first match since coming out. Expect the crowd to roar a little louder when No. 22 jogs onto the court as a world-class defender, now playing wide open.

The pair’s fellow athlete friends took to the comments to send them well-wishes on their upcoming nuptials.

“Ahhh congrats,” wrote British tennis player Katie Boulter.

“I will be at the wedding regardless if you want it or not,” commented Russian-Australian tennis star Arina Rodionova, who frequently stars in the couple’s YouTube channel “What the Vlog” which chronicles life on a tennis tour.

And former American tennis champ Jennifer Brady said, “Congrats Dasha and Natalia!!!"

The star athlete couple’s engagement comes on the heals of Kasatkina being granted a permanent residency by the Australian government after leaving Russia, a country that she has vocally criticized for it’s persecution of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2023, the Russian Supreme Court ruled that "the international LGBT movement is an extremist organization” and in 2024 the first convictions in connection with the law were handed down after a man posted a Pride flag online and a woman wore rainbow frog earrings.

“For me, being openly gay, if I want to be myself, I have to make this step, and I did it,” Kasatkina said when she left Russia, WTA Tennis reports.

Sports writer Jemele Hill disputed Gaines' version of the game, writing on X that Clark wasn’t even part of the play Griner was seemingly frustrated by, and that she was actually talking about the referee and said “trash” and “f*cking wack call.”

“I get that your whole personality is caught up in stuff like this, so you don’t care about spreading misinformation,” she wrote.

Gaines and OutKick, which is owned by the Fox Corporation that also owns Fox News, claim that the WNBA is targeting them because they are the only ones reporting on the supposed things Griner said about Clark.

The meritless claims about Griner made by Gaines and OutKick have fueled the flames of hate that Black players like Griner and Angel Reese have experienced from right-wing commentators, social media, and even WNBA fans who have been heard making racist comments at a game.

OutKick attempted to gain press credentials for the Dream’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 27 and a second game against the Connecticut Sun. The outlet told Fox News that they were denied access in an email from the Sun, where they were told, "Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate your request for a media credential for Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream on Friday, June 6. Due to very limited space, priority is given to those that are associated with outlets that have consistently covered the organization for previous seasons."

Gaines has turned her ultra-conservative views into a career, becoming a paid “culture war” speaker. According to GLAAD, Gaines’ anti-trans hate is well-documented. She has declared a “Real Women’s Day” holiday, was part of a lawsuit to challenge trans eligibility in college sports, launched the Project BOYcott campaign to “celebrate” female athletes who refuse to compete against trans women and girls, and travels nationwide speaking at panels advocating against trans people.

She is also currently embroiled in a controversy with Simon Biles, after Biles defended trans athletes in the face of Gaines’ misgendering and criticizing a trans high school athlete.

To clear up any misconceptions, Fletcher has always publicly identified as queer, not as a lesbian. There's no actual shift to her identity (although it would be fine if there was!), but up until a few lines on her previous album, In Search of the Antidote, her music had centered around her relationships with and interest in women.

As soon as "Boy" dropped, Fletcher's Instagram became a war zone between those who saw her romantic pursuit of a man as a betrayal and those frustrated by the biphobia being expressed in the comments.

"there's nothing brave about revealing your straight relationships i hope yall know that," one person wrote. "its giving corny is what this is."

"This comment section is not it," another argued. "queer women can still date men."

It's obvious from the lyrics and the post leading up to the drop that Fletcher herself saw the divide coming.

"There will be people that feel disappointed and feel confused and have questions," she told Rolling Stone. "Girl, I had questions and I was confused too. It shocked me just as much as anybody else."

The details of how this played out deepened the debate — dropping the song during Pride Month and deleting her previous social media posts both contributed to the heated conversations among fans.

"Fletcher releasing this song during pride month is wild. You couldn't drop this LAST WEEK? I am not upset at the lyrical content, I actually like the song, and am fully aware she is bi. I'm upset that she built her career around wlw and this month was chosen for the announcement."

"It's really sad to me that Fletcher knew she'd get hate from her own community for exploring her own identity."

"yes it did because bi and pan people still exist and are still valid during pride month."

@jessicamasson/Instagram

"Kissing a boy fair Deleting everything to do with kissing girls not fair. But all love."

"like i’m really not mad about fletcher finding love with a man or whatever like good for her But i do hate that it’s coming on the heels of jojo siwa Also renouncing lesbianism to be with a guy, just feels like an unfortunately regressive moment"

"fletcher may not see your comments, but your bisexual friends will. please remember that before you start spewing hate about bisexuals during pride month. thank you."

"some of you seem to forget fletcher is a real human being with real feelings and real experiences, she isn’t here to fill out your diversity quota or to fit into the box you have made for her with your narratives. have a bit more sympathy im begging."

Amidst all the debates, it seemed there may be more nuanced conversations to be had about the relatability and roles celebrities — especially queer musicians — play in our lives.

"She won't be relatable anymore to me personally, bc I can't relate to someone loving men and writing music about that experience. It's that simple," one fan wrote.

"There's also genuine feelings of loss- of someone who [lesbians] related to- who narrated their experiences in song- is less like them," another suggested. "It's not rational. But it's real."

Whether these are conversations we're currently capable of having in a big public forum like social media without taking a nosedive straight into biphobia is another matter — especially when they're centered around a single person and their personal identity.

But regardless of any existing fears or disappointments some fans may have, Fletcher herself assured Rolling Stone that she has always been and will always be a queer woman. Her new album, Would You Still Love Me If You Really Knew Me?, is "not an album about a guy," but rather an exploration of various secrets and aspects of her life and self she's kept out of the public eye.

"My deepest desire for people was for them to boldly and unapologetically be themselves," she said. "If that's what I've been preaching to my fans who I love so much this whole time, then I have to give myself that same grace. Otherwise, what the fuck is the point?"

And it seems clear that she's banking on her fans feeling the same way about her.